Dead But Never Forgotten
by Half-Blood TimeLady
Summary: Syaoran hasn't seen Sakura in four years after she broke up with him. Along her return, chaos erupts in his college and in the city. When his mother is found dead, he decides to avenge her and investigate the city's furor with the aid of his friends. But what Syaoran will find out, killing the suspect would probably be the last thing he'll do.
1. Prologue

Dead But Never Forgotten

**Summary:**

Four years after his girlfriend, Sakura Kinomoto, broke up with him and left Tomoeda, he sees her again – a new student in Tokyo University. But just after her arrival in town, people start disappearing, his mother is murdered and his sisters receive threats from the unknown. And something is off with Sakura that he can't explain...

He decides to find out who's behind his mother's death and seek revenge but will he be up for it when he discovers the mastermind of this felony?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own CardCaptor Sakura or any of the CardCaptor Sakura characters used in this story.

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**Four years ago..**

Syaoran gulped down his cappucino and placed his mug hastily in the sink. _Late again! I'm such a bad boyfriend, _he thought as he clumsily put on his canvas jacket. He was enjoying his morning coffee – an morning ritual, though he thought of cutting it down to twice a week and not become addicted to caffeine – and didn't notice the time. The agreement was ten o'clock, down by the bridge that led to Penguin Park. That was where he first asked Sakura out.

He stepped outside in the pleasant, sunny day and headed for his car which was parked in front of his house. He lived alone. He has ever since he was ten. His mother sent him to study in Japan. She thought some independence would do him good in the future when he takes over the family business. Anything for the family business. Ever since his father died, the pressure of becoming the next CEO almost buried him to the ground. The Lis anticipated he would be as successful as his father and in his childhood, he was raised not to let them down.

Yelan Li didn't let him go alone though. She wanted Wei, the family butler, to accompany him. He presumed that Wei would act as her eyes and ears during his stay in Japan. He went across the sea to the neighbouring country and resided in Tomoeda. He chose that little town because he wanted some peace and quiet. He didn't the bustling city life like he had back in Hong Kong. He was enrolled in Tomoeda Elementary School where he met Sakura Kinomoto. He smiled at the thought.

Syaoran fumbled for his car keys, switched on the ignition and drove through the main street. He arrived at his destination twenty minutes late. He got out of his car, slammed the door and raced towards the park. An explosion of colour met his eyes as soon as he power-walked into the entrance. Summer flowers were in bloom everywhere. What little of the breeze shook the leaves of the trees, sending some to detach from its branch and dance in the air towards the ground. The smell of grass mixed with the scent of nectar wafted and embraced him.

As he neared the bridge, he saw her there, leaning over it, her face propped on her palm as she looked across at the rushing waters in the river. A gush of wind blew into her short, strawberry blonde hair, ruffling it. She's probably been waiting for him for a while, arriving early. A thing that she never practised in school. She didn't look impatient though. She looked beautiful even when looking at her figure at a distance, it would have looked perfect on a postcard.

He halted as he reached her, hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek.

"Sorry I'm late, traffic was terrible"he whispered in her ear.

She turned around, smiled her sweetest smile and laughed.

"I thought _I_ was the late one."

Oh, so she didn't arrive early after all. He chortled

"What time did you get here?"

"About ten minutes ago. Traffic here is usually subdued by nine."she pointed out matter-of-factly and gave me a quick peck. _Ah, you got me _he thought. She knew him inside and out, even more than he knows himself. That lie never passed through her. She wasn't mad or furious or annoyed though. She had that playful grin that she usually puts on every time she catches him red handed.

"Sorry." he gave her an apologetic look.

"Late night?"

"How did you know?"

"You smell like coffee."she chuckled.

~oOo~

They strolled around the park and perched on a bench under the hot beams of the sun. The locals enjoyed picnic on the grass. There were food stalls and ice cream vans where queues formed. Children were everywhere. They scampered in the playground like ants. Syaoran looked at Sakura as she rested her head on his shoulder while his arm held her close to him.

"Hey,"she spoke

"Yeah?"he said softly.

"I was thinking..." she sat up and looked at him in the eyes. There was unsureness in the depths of those twinkling emerald eyes. He frowned as he saw her pink nose. Has she been crying?

"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously. She looked away, biting her lip. "Sakura?"

He cupped her chin and turned her face to look at him. She looked down, trying hard to avoid his gaze.

"I...There's something I need to tell you."she muttered quietly, it was almost inaudible.

"Ok, what is it?" he encouraged her. Inside, his heart started to drum into his chest loudly she could have heard it. What is it that she wanted to say? Horrible thoughts flooded into his brain. He thought she looked nervous and upset, as if there's something she needs to spill. And for sure, tears started to roll down her cheeks and she sobbed into her hands. He was startled. He rarely saw Sakura cry, she's always perky and energetic. As any good boyfriend would do, he automatically wrapped his arms protectively around her.

"Shhh.." he said as she cried into his shirt. He could feel warm moisture seeping into his chest. _Something has got to be wrong_, he thought as he stroked her hair. "What do you want to tell me?"

She sat up straight, her tear stained face looking distraught. Her puffy eyes burned into mine and he could've sworn time and everything else stopped. His ears seems to have blocked all the noises, concentrating only on the words that emanated from her lips.

"We need to end this."

**Author's Note: **

**Hey guys! I beg your pardon if it sounds bad, I haven't written fan fiction in years because this annoying thing called Life was in the way so my writing skills got a little rusty Dx **

**I apologise for the people who read my first fanfiction and liked it. I feel so bad for stopping it abruptly. I merely couldn't find time and I sort of wrote it in a whim without figuring out the whole plot! I will try and make up for that atrocity in this fan fiction. I can't promise quick updates, I have mock finals coming up in a week and the real finals in months but I WILL update! **

**Please give a review. I want my readers to enjoy my story, and I won't know if you do if you don't tell me what you think. :) **


	2. Chapter 1 - Best I Ever Had

**Summary:**

Four years after Syaoran Li's girlfriend, Sakura Kinomoto, broke up with him and left Tomoeda, he sees her again – a new student in Tokyo University. But just after her arrival in town, people start disappearing, his mother is murdered and his sisters receive threats from the unknown. And something is off with Sakura that he can't explain...

He decides to find out who's behind his mother's death and seek revenge but will he be up for it when he discovers the mastermind of this felony?

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own CardCaptor Sakura or any CardCaptor Sakura characters used in this story

**This chapter is named after a song that suits the chapter, so you can go on YouTube and search for "Best I Ever Had by Vertical Horizon" b^-^d **

**P.S. It might not suit the mood at the start but it will at the end :P **

**I'll be naming all chapters after songs from now on so you can get more of the feel of this story. :)**

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**Chapter 1** - **Best I Ever Had****  
**

**Present day.. **

Syaoran jerks awake on his bed. His heart pounded, almost breaking his ribs and he could feel sweat running down his forehead. He tries to remember what his dream is about this time, but the more he holds on to it, the quicker it escapes from his grasp. His room is lit in a light shade of gold – it is just dawn. He checks his clock which rests on his bedside table.

6.30 a.m

He groans and goes back to sleep, but he knows that once he's awake, he can never fall asleep again. He entangles himself from his blanket, scrambles out of bed and blindly grabs a shirt from a drawer to put on. He ventures to the kitchen where he makes a pot of tea, a new drinking obsession he found himself getting into a few weeks ago. He tries to make less noise as possible as to not wake his housemates.

As the future Chief-Executive-Officer of the Reed Future Technology Corporation, he is provided of his daily college necessities. His mother has obtained him a four bedroomed house only fifteen minutes away from his college, Tokyo University, which he shares with two people. His bestfriend Eriol Hiiragizawa and his girlfriend Tomoyo Daidouji. They decided to move in together during freshman year, seeing that they are all going to the same college.

Money is never a problem. The Lis have in store a vast amount of wealth no one could imagine. His mother also assured him a mode of transportation and bought him a car. Every year Yelan Li visits him in his house to make sure everything is running smoothly. She rains endless questions on Syaoran about his grades in college and how life in Japan is going for him. As the current director of the company, she gives long speeches about leadership and how he should run the company like his father did.  
"Do not disgrace us and put a stain on our family name."she always says.

He would reply in a polite tone, "Yes mother." And she would find that response satisfactory. Sometimes he finds her bothersome, especially when she bugs him about his girlfriend Tomoyo.

Yelan Li didn't like Tomoyo. She is never fond of her ever since she set her eyes on his girlfriend two years ago. He saw a displeased glint in his mother's eyes when he introduced Tomoyo to her in Hong Kong. Tomoyo, of course, was intimidated and scared of Yelan. And she still is. When Yelan visits, she is usually out with her friends, just to avoid being under Yelan's wings. She is always asking for Sakura though. Yelan have always preferred Sakura over Tomoyo. Sakura...

Syaoran stops in his tracks. It's been four years since she left. Four years since she cut the thread loose between them. After their break up, he never felt right. He didn't know her whereabouts and the reason why she even broke up with him in the first place. The last thing she said to him was "Don't worry. Everything will surely be alright."Her trademark phrase.

And she was gone, just like that.

_Was I a terrible boyfriend? Was I not good enough for her? Did I do something wrong? _He asked these questions as he shut himself in a cocoon of misery in his bedroom. He felt empty, as if in her departure, she took with her a part of him. He still feels that way now. Even though he enjoys Tomoyo's company, Tomoyo could never fill that gaping gap inside him.

He looked for Sakura. Searched for even the smallest clues as to where she went. He tried contacting her brother Touya even his friend, Yukito and her father, Fujitaka but he got no response. He didn't see them around either. He visited their house which was empty. He noticed a "For Sale"sign that was put in the yard. Yelan worried about Syaoran and also about Sakura. She liked the girl just as he liked her. Sakura was a very likeable person. She made friends with everyone. She was the colour in his life. Now that she's gone, everything started becoming dull, as though rain clouds moved over his head. They were taking it serious. Once, he even thought of marrying her. He loved her as much as she loved him. He loved her ever since he saw her sitting by the window of their classroom in Tomoeda Elementary School.

Syaoran's heart squeezes and a lump in his throat starts to form. His vision becomes blurred and his knuckles go white. He does not notice he has been holding the handle of the pot so tightly. He shakes the thought off, grabs a mug and pours his tea into it. Apparently, four years still isn't enough to break away from her, but he is getting along well gradually. He isn't anticipating to be able to let her go in a snap of his fingers, but he will. In time. For sure, time will heal him. And Tomoyo is there to help him on that.

Lectures doesn't start until ten so he decides to do some cooking and studying in the kitchen while waiting for the two to wake up. Eriol stomps down the stairs two hours later looking groggy, his black hair ruffled and his glasses lopsided.

"Hey man," he croaks at Syaoran who is flicking through the pages of his textbook on the dining table.

"Hey. I made breakfast and tea."Syaoran gestures at the bacon, eggs, sausages and pot of tea set in front of him.

"Hmm.. very English." Eriol speculates as he gets a plate from the kitchen cabinet. He sits on the table across Syaoran and starts filling his plate with food.

"I'm trying a new thing." Syaoran chuckles and returns to his book.

" You have assessments today?"Eriol asks nonchalantly.

"No, just lectures. I'll be finished by one."

"Ahh.. I heard we have a new student in our year group."

"Really? Who?"

"No idea."

~oOo~

The early morning drags on slowly. Syaoran closes his textbook shut and goes upstairs to shower and dress. He meets Tomoyo on the landing, her hair sticking out in various directions, a condition girls call ''Bad Hair Day''

He gives her a peck on the cheek, tells her breakfast is already prepared in the kitchen and grabs a towel for a quick shower.

By the time it turns nine thirty, they are all ready. Syaoran, Eriol and Tomoyo -armed with backpacks which contained their laptops and textbooks- walk towards the kerb where Syaoran's sleek, black Audi A4 is parked. Syaoran sits on the driver's seat, Eriol races and outruns Tomoyo in the shotgun seat, so a slightly annoyed Tomoyo slumps in the backseat.

"Don't be too mad Tomoyo, I'm merely just quick and swift," Eriol jokes as the car cruises through the streets. Syaoran laughs as Tomoyo retorts, "And when it comes to dressing, you aren't so quick and swift. We _always_ have to tell you to hurry up and come down. Jeez Eriol, sometimes you act like a girl, it's embarrasses me to be one."Syaoran lets out a guffaw and Eriol scowls at him.

"Traitor," he says to Syaoran who tries to suppress another round of laughter. He looks back at Tomoyo, who grins innocently at him.

"Gentlemen like me likes to impress girls with good apparel."he points at himself. "And intoxicating men's perfume."he added as an afterthought.

"Since when did that ever work? You're twenty two and not one girlfriend you've acquired in college"

Ouch, that must have hit Eriol hard. Eriol has had dozens of girlfriends during highschool, but oddly enough, he has never dated during his college years. Syaoran wondered what the reason is behind it. Maybe he and Tomoyo should set Eriol up with someone pretty they know.

"I'm taking a phase. And it works _all_ the time Tomoyo. You remember those girls pining over me during highschool until the present day?"

It was true. Girls followed Eriol everywhere he went. Once, he was followed by one into the men's toilet. Eriol never speaks about it since. He is a born classic. The perfect gentleman in fact. He rides a vintage '67 Chevy Impala-a gift he received from his parents on his nineteenth birthday- to school. He never goes out with Syaoran and Tomoyo without wearing a suit. Occasionally when he spots a good looking girl, he flashes her a flirtatious grin and winks. Syaoran thought most of them fainted. Eriol is _the _guy girls would kill for.

"How do you do it?" Syaoran says in mock wonder as the car turns right, entering the college's parking lot.

"It just comes to me naturally man. You have to be born with the skills."Eriol says solemnly. He holds up a fist, which Syaoran fist bumps. They hear Tomoyo sigh exasperatedly.

They all climb out of the car shouldering their backpacks and go their separate ways. Tomoyo gives Syaoran a hug and a kiss.

"That's for good luck for the day," she whispers into his ear and smiles waving him goodbye as she runs towards the red-bricked,four storey, building her classes are taking place.

"Ugh, girls."Eriol rolls his eyes as he and Syaoran head to their Business class.

They take their usual seats at the right hand side of the room by the window. There are only a few students that occupied the beige walled, carpeted room. It is constructed in a semicircular shape, like those of the open-air theatres in Ancient Rome, except there's a roof instead of a sun canopy. The desks are aligned around the room, which elevates on each row, ascending at the back. There is an empty space at the front in the centre of the room, where their professor gives the lectures on a raised platform. The stage like, lecturing area also has an enormous projector and a podium that held a microphone. The room is brightly lit by the sun beaming from the windows.

As the bell signals the classes to start, more students fills the room, and by the time the professor arrives, every seat is now vacated. An easy hour about VAT and taxes is enough for Syaoran to take his eyes off the projector screen and scan the whole classroom. He's had lessons from his father about money management during his childhood he could take a test about it blindfolded and leave with a solid A.

The class is usually seated in a grouping manner. For example, the rich and posh, huddled together on the other side of the room, the scholars up at the front, the messers at the back and so on.

After a few minutes of amusing himself with identifying which students belong in a certain "group", something catches his attention. A glimpse of...red? He scans the room again, more quicker this time, and he sees it, five rows in front of him. A shock of short strawberry blonde hair that stands out in the room. By looking at the student's back, he could tell these few things: a girl somewhere around his age, petite figure, and quite the hard worker, seeing as she is hunching over her laptop, rapidly typing in notes.

The first thought that entered his mind is, "Could it be..?"

Then he thinks, there are quite a few red heads in here that he knows by name, so it could be one of them. But then, not one of them take Business and goes to the same class he goes, as far as he can remember. There are many possibilities that that red head could be just some normal girl. Sure it couldn't be..?

And that is the thing. He isn't sure.

Curiosity digs into him as the minutes ticks by and when the bell rings, he rushes down the aisle that separates the rows of desks, hearing Eriol calling him from behind, "Dude,wait up!"

As he catches up with the mystery girl, he tries to steal a quick glance at her.

"What now? You thinking of ending it with Tomoyo?" Eriol says breathlessly to Syaoran after running down the aisle after him.

Syaoran deflates. Oh, so it's not "her" after all.

"Dude?" Eriol punches Syaoran's arm lightly, "What were you trying to do back there?"

"Huh?"Syaoran pulls out of his reveree.

Eriol rolls his eyes exasperatedly. "As if it wasn't obvious that you were checking the chick out. She's cute."

"What? No!" Syaoran says, surprised at Eriol's suspicion.

"Well, you looked like you were."

"Did I?"

"Yeah. Do you know her?"

"I thought she's someone I know."

"Oh. Who did you think she was?"

Syaoran doesn't reply, finding it hard to say "her" name out loud. He just shrugs and hope that's good enough for Eriol so he doesn't bother him all day about it.

Eriol has assessments today and Tomoyo is still in her Music class so Syaoran has to go home without them. The Biology class took more concentration than he usually gives it before on the lecture about botany. It isn't his favourite subject but his mother forced him to take it because she thinks it's essential for him to know some sciences for when he becomes President of their family-run company. Sure, science would help him because their company mainly focuses on that area but he doesn't think learning about plants would do him any good. As if, in some period of his life he's going to be thrown in a farm with nothing but a bag of full seeds which he's expected to sow on the ground in less than an hour.

He took his car keys out of the pockets of his hoodie and just as he presses a button on his keys that unlocks the car doors, he hears the sound of fabric ripping, books falling and a small, high-pitched, "Shit!"

He turns around, finding himself looking at the girl's rear (accidentally!) as she stoops low to retrieve her things, her back to him. He feels his face heat up on his own private, slightly embarrassing little encounter. He immediately refocuses on the books that lay open, scattered on the asphalt floor of the parking lot; taking notice on the empty, ripped, flowery handbag that the girl carried in her hand. She had a cute bear hat that concealed most of her head and hair despite the heat of the day.

Syaoran doesn't have anything to do much at home and he surely isn't in any hurry so he rushes to the girl's side, and offers her a hand.

"Here, let me help you." he grabs a copy nearest to him and a blue pencil case.

"Oh, thanks," she holds out an arm out for him without even turning to see who it is that saved her books, to take her belongings from him and stuff them in her satchel. He places her copy and pencil case on her small palms. He could estimate that this girl is no less taller if she stands up and will only probably reach below his chin.

"Doing a lot of revision tonight, I reckon?"Syaoran asks conversationally.

"No, I just got these books from the book store. I'm new."she says shortly with her head bowed, busily arranging everything in her satchel to fit. "Thanks again, uhh...sir."

"No need to be formal like that, you can call me Syaoran."Syaoran introduces himself amiably.

The girl stood up straight, finally closing her bag and looks up, straight at him. The first thing he sees is a flash of red hair and the next thing he know, he is looking at a pair of familiar emerald eyes.

"Nice to meet you Syaoran. I'm Sakura. Sakura Kinomoto."

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**Author's Note: **

**Okay, to be honest, I'm really excited to get this story going, but it's gonna take me some time, because as I said, I have exams on the upcoming week. Eeek! **

**What do you think about this chapter? **

**I know, it's running on the slow lane, but I wanna explain the things that happened during Sakura's absence and how our characters are like, and I think I made it clear in this chapter. If you have any inquiries about the chapter, you can ask while giving your review! :D  
I know the cliffhanger's a bit confusing but you'll understand it on the next chapter ^-^  
****I'm a bit soppy at the comedy department, sorry 'bout that T^T**


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